Research reports, June 2001

This article is filed under: employee motivation, engagement, people, talent development, workforce management

Magnetic attraction: the power of talent and the corporate brand

Is there a ‘war for talent’?

While organisations are preparing for battle, talented individuals see no talent shortage. They see plenty of talent in their organisations not being given a chance to prove their potential. They are also critical about their organisation’s ability to deliver on the expectations of those high flyers their employers would like to attract. They see inconsistencies between the external promise and internal reality.

What drives talented people?

Talented people want to be the best that they can be. They want challenging jobs that stretch them to their limits. They want freedom, room to manoeuvre and make decisions. They want support, both in their career development as well as in balancing their work and private life. Money is important, but not a primary motivator. The needs of talented people are transactional (good pay, benefits, etc.) as well as emotional (feeling valued, trusted, challenged, recognised, etc.). The ‘emotional stuff ’ – the brand in all its facets – accounts for a substantial proportion of what matters to the talented individual. Competitive advantage increasingly needs to come from managing the emotional side of the employment relationship